Import Tuning: 3 Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Strat

Rather than spending a cool grand or
two on a new Custom Shop or topline
American Stratocaster, many guitarists
opt to find a solid Mexican or Japanese
Fender Strat and trick it out. Often my
clients ask me how they can upgrade one
of these instruments to make it gig-worthy.
There are several ways to customize a
budget Strat without spending a fortune.
Replacing key components—such as the
pickups, string nut, and tuners—can turn a
workhorse guitar into a killer axe!

The project. To illustrate this process,
we’ll use a 2004 Fender Mexican (MIM)
Strat. When it landed on my bench, it was
in great structural condition, but I knew
some mods and a good setup could make it
a pro-level instrument.

My first step was to sonically evaluate
the guitar. Though it played well, it didn’t
have a lot of sustain and the stock tuners
tended to drift out of tune. The single-coil
pickups sounded weak and too bright, and
I decided to begin the transformation by
upgrading them.

Install new pickups. The owner wanted
to stick to a traditional single-coil configuration.
There are dozens of great options
made by independent pickup makers, as
well as excellent upgrades from Fender.
Based on feedback from other clients, I
chose a set of Seymour Duncan Five-Two single-coils, which employ a combination
of alnico 2 and alnico 5 magnets. The three
treble pole pieces are made from alnico
2, which produces a warmer sound. This
reduces that “ice-pick-in-the-ear” tone
when you play a solo. Conversely, the three
bass pole pieces are alnico 5, a magnet
known for producing a bright, clear tone.
This is perfect for adding clarity to rhythm
parts and chord voicings. Duncan Five-Twos sound louder than traditional Strat
pickups, but when adjusted properly, they
offer excellent tone and balance.

Whenever I replace a trio of single-coil
Strat pickups, I use a reverse-wound/reverse-polarity (RW/RP) middle pickup. In position 2 or 4 (the combined neck/middle and middle/bridge settings) of a
5-way switch, the paired pickups become
humbuckers. The benefit? You cancel the
60-cycle hum that plagues single-coils, but
still get that traditional Strat tone we all love.

Fig. 1. Measuring the gap between the pole piece and the 6th string on a Strat.

Adjust pickup height. This is commonly
overlooked during a setup. It’s important to
set the pickups at the right distance from the
strings. If the pickups are adjusted too close,
you can lose sustain and run into intonation
problems because the magnets are pulling on
the vibrating strings. But if the pickups are
too low, you’ll end up with a weak signal.

To adjust the pickups, I fret the 1st and
6th strings at the last fret. Then, using a
6" metal machinist ruler, I measure the
gap between the top of the pole pieces to
the bottom of the 1st and 6th strings (Fig.
1.) Carefully turning the screws on either
side of the pickup lets me raise or lower its
height to my preferred measurements:

Bridge pickup: 2/64" 1st string, 3/64" 6th string.

Middle pickup: 3/64" 1st string, 4/64" 6th string.

Neck pickup: 3/64" 1st string, 4/64" 6th string.

These measurements are starting points,
but I wouldn’t recommend adjusting Strat
pickups any higher. If a pickup is too loud
relative to its mates, lower it to balance its
volume. Don’t bring the quieter ones closer
to the strings.

Fig. 2. Replacing
vintage-style tuners with a set that has a higher turning ratio, like these 16:1 keys, can make it easier to tune a string quickly and accurately.

Upgrade the tuners. Upgrading your
guitar’s tuning keys requires some research.
There are many excellent brands available
that will retrofit a Strat, and it’s important
to explore all the options before you drop
cash on a set that doesn’t fit.

In the case of our Fender MIM Strat, I
had to find a quality set that would retrofit
the existing holes in the neck. The owner
and I decided to use sealed Gotoh keys
with a 16:1 turning ratio (Fig. 2.) This
ratio determines how many times you have to completely turn the button in order for
the post to make one full revolution. The
higher the ratio (i.e., 16:1, 18:1), the finer
the tuning. Most vintage keys have a 12:1
or 14:1 turning ratio. Keys with lower turning
ratios can make it frustrating to tune a
string because it’s so easy to jump past the
desired pitch as you approach it.

Fig. 3. The string nut plays an important role in a guitar’s sound and performance. Most guitars sport a stock plastic nut, and replacing it with a bone nut can yield sonic benefits and improve tuning stability.

Replace the string nut. Believe it or not,
the nut material makes a noticeable sonic
difference. Most guitars come from the factory
with a plastic string nut (Fig. 3.) Plastic
is easy (and cheap) to install, but it insulates
the guitar from string vibration and thus
negatively impacts tone and sustain.

Bone is always a good choice for string nuts—it’s very hard, it lasts longer than plastic and graphite, and produces a sweeter tone than metal.

Other materials I’ve seen used are graphite,
bone, ivory, brass, and aluminum. Each has
specific tonal properties and varying sustain,
and based on years of working with guitars,
here’s my take on these materials: Graphite is
great for keeping your guitar in tune (especially
if you use a tremolo) because strings
slide easily through the nut slots, but it sounds
rather dead. Bone has excellent sustain and
broadens the dynamic range of virtually any
guitar. Ivory has good sustain and produces
a warmer tone. (Of course, there are serious
conservation and even legal issues surrounding
the use of ivory, but that’s beyond the scope of
this column.) Brass and aluminum produce a
bright tone but have little sustain.

For this project, we decided to carve a new
string nut from bone. Bone is always a good
choice for string nuts—it’s very hard, it lasts
longer than plastic and graphite, and produces
a sweeter tone than metal. You can buy
pre-slotted string nuts, but I find the spacing
is never quite right. I prefer to use a “Stratcut”
bone blank from Allparts or Stewart-MacDonald.

Caution! When replacing a string nut, be
aware that they’re often glued into the nut
slot from the bottom or they may be lacquered
in. You want to avoid damaging the
end of the fretboard facing the tuning keys
when removing the nut. If you’re not sure
how to safely remove a nut, take your guitar
to a qualified repair tech or luthier.

Fig. 4. Carving a new nut is an art. You need to consider string spacing, slot width and depth, and the string angle over the headstock.

Carve a bone nut. Carving a string nut
requires skill and patience (Fig. 4.) One cut
too far and you’ll have to start all over again
with a new nut blank. If you don’t have the
proper experience, training, and tools, turn this
part of the project over to someone who does.

To see photos and read a detailed explanation
of the process I use to cut a bone nut and what tools are required, read the
March 2012 feature “How to Convert Your
Axe to a Baritone.” Step 4 in that article explains how to carve
a nut, measure string spacing (Fig. 5), and
cut the string slots (Fig. 6.)

Fig. 5. The saying “measure twice, cut once” certainly applies to getting the correct string spacing on a new nut.

Fig. 6. A nut slot needs to angle down toward the tuner, and its highest point must be right at the leading edge where the nut meets the fretboard.

Consider your moves before you make
them. When upgrading the parts on your
guitar, always buy quality hardware that can
be installed without any major modification
to your instrument. In other words, if
you have to route out the body or drill new
holes, it’s best not to do it. The more holes,
routing, or finish work you do, the less your
instrument is worth. Keep the upgrades
clean, simple, and reversible.

Fig. 7. Gig worthy! Tricked out with 16:1 tuners, a new bone nut, and a rockin’ set of replacement pickups, this imported Strat is now ready for prime time.

John LeVan Nashville guitar tech,
has written five guitar repair books, all
published by Mel Bay. His bestseller, Guitar
Care, Setup & Maintenance, is a detailed
guide with a forward by Bob Taylor. LeVan
welcomes questions about his PG column
or books. Drop an email to guitarservices@
aol.com or visit guitarservices.com for more
info on his guitar repair workshops.

John LeVan, Nashville guitar tech, has written five guitar repair books, all published by Mel Bay. His bestseller, Guitar Care, Setup & Maintenance, is a detailed guide with a forward by Bob Taylor. LeVan welcomes questions about his PG column or books. Drop an email to guitarservices@ aol.com or visit guitarservices.com for more info on his guitar repair workshops.

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